What Could Be
by ShirobaratheFirst
Summary: When Thanos comes to Earth to retrieve the last of the Infinity Stones, the Avengers are called to action. Though ordered to stay away from the fight, Vision is inevitably thrown into the fray. He is however prevented from battle by the Scarlet Witch, who is critically injured. Set in a possible Infinity War scenario that I've had in my head for a while. (Rated T for some violence)


**After AoU and Civil War, we all know that the next big hubbub we're waiting for (not counting Black Panther, Spider-Man: Homecoming and many other upcoming Marvel movies!) is the Avengers: Infinity War amarite? Well, here is a certain something that I came up with in regards to how the Infinity War and Thanos' coming to Earth will affect the team. Specifically, a certain telekinetic woman, and a vibranium android.**

 **It's so shameless of me to be writing the first fanfic for one of my favorite Marvel pairings, and I have to make it an angst-y and dramatic once *weeps uncontrollably* I hope you enjoy this.**

 **I know that this is really something that would break the hearts of many fans out there, and most likely (if not hopefully) won't** ** _really_** **be included in the upcoming movie, think of this scene as happening after a battle with Thanos, in which the team suffers a deadly near-defeat, and Thanos** ** _ALMOST_** **retrieves the Mind Stone from Vision, but Wanda protects him and ends up getting beaten to near-death (I DO NOT OWN MARVEL OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS THAT APPEAR IN THIS FANFIC. ALL OF THEM BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS.)**

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**

The machine whirred continuously, sending loud, digital beeps throughout the compound in a rhythmic pattern. The sound echoed in every room, and seemed to reach even the furthest corners of the building. It accentuated the lost that the team had previously suffered in the hands of the Titanic superhuman that was Thanos. Apparently, not one of them could have predicted such an adversary as him.

It was a horrible ordeal... Probably even more so than that of Loki and Ultron put together. Even though they gave it their all, it didn't seem to be enough. The fiend had won his first victory, and it scarred the team far more visibly than anyone could point out. And that follows the fact, that Thanos did **_not_** spare anyone at all.

Having learned that both Loki's assault with the aid of the Chitauri, and Ultron's homicidal glitch (as Tony still persists on calling it) were actually caused by Thanos himself, duly after their defeat, his somewhat pawns had managed to bring back to him, a fully detailed layout on each and every single Avenger. And he used this horrid information to quickly crush them all in no less than a few seconds.

He went for Steve first, quickly disarming him of his shield, since it was the only thing that was giving him any chance of dealing damage to the alien titan. It was easy knocking him off with but a swipe, like he was nothing more but a mere ant. This had angered Tony and Sam, and so they tried to seize their moment to rain Thanos down with as much ammunition and artillery as they had.

Clint and Natasha were both going for Thanos' vital points (if the entity had any), mainly for his head. Respectively shooting salvos of arrows and bullets, but to fruitless results.

The Titanian, completely unaffected by their efforts to try and bring him down, simply swept his arm around and the telekinetic force that he released had been as strong as a controlled nuke, that everyone got blasted away and fell unconscious, with a decoration of bruises and long cuts to blanket them. When he saw that he immobilized them all, he had raised both of his arms, to deliver a final blow to end it.

That was when Vision came.

After the news regarding Stephen Strange being attacked by Thanos reached the Avengers, and that he did so to retrieve the Infinity Stone inside the Eye of Agamotto that the doctor had in possession, everyone agreed to keep Vision from coming with them to confront the alien Titan. But, of course, it couldn't be helped. Not when Thanos already had 4 Infinity Stones, and was impossible to be fought, even by the acclaimed Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

No.. Vision _had_ to step in.

 _beep~beep~beep_

The sound of the machines alerted him once again, and Vision was forced out of his thoughts from the battle that had caused the silence of the Avengers' compound. Currently it was around 2-ish, and everyone was asleep in their own rooms after being treated by Dr. Cho. All, except for two.

One of those two, is already obviously him. Being an android and all, Vision didn't need to rest. He never did after a training session with the team, and he didn't after single-handedly fighting Thanos to protect the team.

 _No.._ He reminded himself.. _I didn't fight him alone... She was there as well.._

The machine caught his attention again, and Vision looked down at the other person who did not reside in her room, but rather, in one of the make-shift ICU emergency rooms that the compound had in the lower floors. There, lying in a bed, connected to a series of monitor and neural machines, was Wanda Maximoff.

Her closed eyelids and slow breathing was the only indication that she was peacefully slumbering, but the mass of bandages, uncovered bruises, and the machines that surrounded her were what reminded the android, that out of everyone, it was she, whom had truly suffered.

"Wanda..." Vision whispered silently, trying to comprehend how and why such a thing had befallen his dear comrade.

Closing his eyes, Vision gently allowed his mind to enter Wanda's unconscious one, trying to recollect the hellish fight through _her_ heart and mind... _Wanda.._

 **-x-x-x-x-**

 _Everyone is beaten.. In but a few strikes from him, they're all down... And while it takes Wanda a moment to realize that it is because of her own telekinetic abilities that she had endured the vicious attacks, her body shook with total horror, to see her comrades...her friends, all down and crushed so easily by this maddened Titan._

 _She's hidden by a boulder that had blasted against her when she fell, and she was contemplating whether to stay in her place or come out. It may seem cowardly, yes.. But she saw what that monstrous_ _ **thing**_ _had done to her friends. If he saw that she was still conscious, God knows what could possibly happen to her._

 _The Witch then, decides, since there wasn't really room for anything else, to try and take her comrades, one by one to safety. 'We must retreat... For now we must fall back.. Or we'll die here!' Hurrying herself out of the rubble, Wanda tried to come up with a faster way to try and evacuate everyone without being seen by their adversary that was still most likely there. That is until, she heard him speak in his loud, and Earth-shaking voice._

 _'So.. You're here...'_

 _Wanda's whole body freezes, and she awaits for whatever attack that the alien decides to rain down on her, but then she hears another voice. One that she has heard sometimes in her dreams, one that was laced in synthetic and a wondrous accent that she's come to love so much._

 _The Witch directed her gaze skyward, and she was not wrong. Vision. The Vision was in the sky, levitating above Thanos like he was a miracle given by the Heavens. In so many ways that she's come to believe, he probably was._

 _'You were waiting for me, were you not? Well, here I am.." The Vision spoke apathetically._

 _Wanda watched as Thanos regarded the synthetic, with so much visible interest that the Witch practically shook in fear. She remembers what the others had talked about in regards to the gem in Vision's forehead. The Mind Stone, she recalls Steve call it. One of the 6 Infinity Stones. The very stones that Thanos had come for._

 _'You will not harm anyone any longer..' Vision said, firm and though still quite monotone, very visibly aching to do justice for his fallen comrades._

 _'That's fine by me... You're all that I need anyway.. Had you come out sooner, then maybe your friends could've walked out of this without a scratch.." Thanos said._

 _Without even realizing that it had somehow offended his more humane thought, Vision immediately released a beam of white energy. Caught off guard, Thanos took the complete blast, and though gave him slight burns, it managed to melt some of his armor. The moment he gets back on his feet, an inhumane brawl between alien and android ensues._

 _Wanda watches it all, still petrified and unable to move. She can't point out the reason as to why. Whether it was because Thanos truly was a monster, or that Vision's life was very much on the line. Thanos, kept striking Vision at the head, on the forehead to be more exact. 'Grabbing for the Mind Stone.' Wanda thought quickly._

 _Vision's molecular phasing keeps pushing him to safety before Thanos can even try to pry off the Stone, but Wanda knew, that if this battle went on... She gave a gasp of horror when she saw Thanos grab Vision by the throat, and all the sudden the android's molecular phasing had stopped working._

 _'What a disgrace... You hold one of the most powerful creations, and all you can do is phase the molecules in your body... Sickening.."_

 _Before he could even make a grab for the Stone, Vision saw flickers of red energy wrap around the Titan's arm and it stays there mid-strike. It doesn't even take a moment for Vision to guess who it is, because he sees her in his periphery._

 _Still unable to phase away from the painful clutch around his throat, Vision brought his telepathic mind to speak. 'What do you think you are doing, Wanda?' He practically grounds, which was really unlike him. But the dark expression that has taken over her face makes him re-think his tone. There is a spark of hot red in her pupils before the entirety of her chocolate orbs is swallowed by the scarlet. 'Helping you.'  
_

 _Then, she unleashes the most powerful beam of red energy he has ever seen her create, and it is enough to blast Thanos a few good yards away. Vision's throat is freed, and he quickly phases before Wanda. 'Get yourself and the others to safety, Wanda.' He ordered. 'I am **not** going to let you fight that thing alone.' She said, serious. _

_Before there is even chance for him to say anymore, Wanda brought forth her energy again, and flew in an incredible speed towards Thanos. 'Wanda!' Vision couldn't help but call out to the woman's stubbornness. As if she hadn't surprised him enough, she turned around mid-flight, and what he saw, absolutely struck him dumb._

 _For certain, he could see the fear beneath the red haze in her eyes.. Fear for her life, for her friends' life... But mostly fear for his. And then, for a split second, her face softened, and he could barely see, the makings of a pained smile playing on her lips, as her hands begin to twirl in their beautiful yet deadly fashion. Then, without warning, she whirled her telekinetic energy towards Steve, then Tony, then Sam, Natasha, Clint, and then lastly at him... He doesn't even have time to fight back once she forces him and everyone else (though still unconscious) to stay immobilized._

 _Once she knows that he won't be able to interfere, the Witch returns, and she directs herself back at Thanos. Vision found himself slightly flinching when an explosion of red, blasted in the Titan's wake. But she doesn't stop there. She continues to rack the Titan with powerful energy blasts, each one more powerful than the one that preceded it. So transfixed was he at the sight before him, that instead of trying to break away from the spell that he had once again let her use on him, Vision found himself marveling at how strong Wanda had become._

 _'When had she learned to do this?' He kept asking to himself. Her immobilization spell, her more powerful energy blasts, and perfect flight. When had she become so powerful without his knowing? In this midst of fighting a monstrous superhuman alien, that had come to destroy this wonderful world that he knew to be a privilege to live in, Vision could only think how beautiful the Scarlet Witch was, fighting this battle for him._

 _But the moment passes, once Thanos regains his lost strength, and re-assesses the situation. With a small telekinetic spell of his own, he blocks her attacks long enough for him to deliver his own. And the one attack is all he needs. Having been suddenly knocked out of her moment of complete supremacy, the sudden emergence of her full power overwhelms Wanda and she pulls back without even thinking._

 _Seizing the opportunity, Thanos swept Wanda away with one powerful strike, and all at once, Wanda is hurtled into a series of buildings. While he triumphs on getting rid of the little rat that had managed to get lucky, another unforeseen anomaly strikes the Titan. And it came in the form of Vision, dashing to the side of his body with the speed and power of a human-sized bullet._

 _Only one curse from his own native tongue escapes him, before Vision forcefully makes the Titan submit to a more powerful blast from the Mind Stone. Once he's down, Vision doesn't even take the time to finish him off, and quickly phase-shifts in a demonic speed where Wanda had been heartlessly thrown away._

 _He finds her, in the 25th floor of the 4th building she had crashed through. Even from afar, he could see that she was battered horribly. So much rock, and shattered glass lay around her. But there was also blood. So much blood, he could barely even tell where she was bleeding due to the color of her attire._

 _'Wanda!' He called out to her in alarm, falling to his knees and taking her into his arms without a second thought. He could feel his breath shaking in his throat, and he thanked the God that the people of Earth worshiped, that none of his other comrades would see this moment of his vulnerability. 'Wanda.. Open your eyes...' He said, trying to sound as patient as he usually was, only to fail miserably. But the Witch would not even move._

 _He felt several changes in the electromagnetic fields in the atmosphere, and he could hear the voices of Nick Fury and Maria Hill in their heli-carrier, finally arriving after who-know-how-long. Vision let his mind wander in the air for a moment longer. Thanos was gone as well._

 _Probably for the best. After what had just transgressed, it would be best for the Titan to not encounter the vibranium android as of yet. Not while he felt a burning fire seer away inside his synthetic body._

 **-x-x-x-x-**

Vision opened his eyes, letting out a gasp after the vivid images had sunken into his system. If anything, recalling the onslaught had only made him feel... _worse_ as any of his teammates would say. He let his synthetic irises trail the horrible damage that the Scarlet Witch had sustained from her battle. A battle that should've been his, if not for his own incompetence.

Or more importantly this wonderful woman's own conviction and strength.

"Why did you do such a thing?" He asked her, no longer even suppressing his anguish. "Why?" He kept repeating it, over and over. Because in all honesty, he was most likely asking himself rather than her. Why hadn't he taken the moment into _his_ full control? Why had he let _her_ fight for him? Why hadn't he tried harder to break away from her spell to stop her? Why had he let her do for him, what he should've done for her? If there was anything that he would give that maddened Titan satisfaction for, it would be that he was right. _He **was** a disgrace. _

The regret overwhelmed Vision so, that he forced himself to look away from her. He had no right. No right to look at this woman whom had nearly given her life, just so he wouldn't lose his.

The memory played through in his mind again, and this time, Vision tried to focus on her power, how stronger she'd become. How she protected him. This is enough to make him look back at her, but only slightly, just at the corner of his eyes. "You were absolutely beautiful..." He now said, still with a tone of regret and guilt, but there was a hint of awe and adoration in it. "But then again, you _are_ always beautiful, Wanda."

Although she was asleep, and most likely not hearing him, Vision found it quite difficult for him to say such things to her. But, this was the only moment he will be able to do so freely, so he doesn't hold back. "You are far more beautiful than all of those god-like women in the books that you recommend to me. Far more beautiful and far more powerful... In comparison to you, they are nothing more but mere literature that are written in white pages."

"My Scarlet Witch... My Wanda..." Though difficult as it may be, Vision brought himself to float even closer towards her sleeping form, looking down at her with such tender one could not expect from a mere machine such as him. "I promise you... That I will not let your actions be for vain..." Slowly, he reached out his hand to hold her own. He stopped just before he could inch his skin against hers, quickly deciding against it. Instead, he manipulates the molecules of his hand to simply phase through hers.

Gently, he phase-brushes his backhand up her wrist, then her elbow, then the length of her whole arm, and then lastly, to her face. Her face that he so longed to touch for real, and not just hope to imagine. A face, that after this night, he knew, he was most likely _never_ going to see again. "I promise you, that I will do you justice." He whispered so quietly, not even he heard it.

Then as quick as he could phase through walls, the tenderness and solemn shade on his face fades away and is once again apathetic and emotionless. Straightening himself up, Vision turned around, and phased through the wall, not even bothering for the door. The sooner he got out of the compound the better.

When he gets to the main hall, however, a figure is stood there, seemingly waiting for him. "And here I thought, I was the only one spending this night awake, guilt-tripping myself." Steve Rogers said as if in greeting. The thoughts in the Captain's mind were quick to be caught in his own cerebral cortex that Vision quickly said: "You cannot stop me from going, Captain Rogers."

Steve steeled his eyes into the android, trying in some futile way to read the android's own mind as best as Vision could read his. "She isn't going to want this, Vision." Steve said, getting his point across. Vision slightly lowered his eyes. _I know._ "It's what I must do.." The android replied, floating (not walking, just in case he needed to make a quick dash for it) towards the main entryway.

He's more than surprised that Steve doesn't stop him physically, but the Captain called out to him once more. "She did it _for_ you, Vision... Fighting Thanos..." Vision stopped. "Why?" He asked without turning. Steve could only stare at the back of the android's head, only guessing what trail of thought was running through his mind. "Because she doesn't want you to die. By fighting Thanos on her own in your stead.. She just wanted you to know.."

To this, Vision finally turns around, and there is look of utter confusion and puzzlement on his face. "I would die for her... Does _she_ know that?" He asked, as if to justify his actions. Steve almost reeled back in surprise. He had never heard the android speak this openly before. But even as he looked at Vision, he could tell that the android was just as surprised at his own words. "It is all right should _I_ die.. Because I am nothing more but a machine.. Created from metal and powered by this stone in my head."

Vision felt for the gem in his forehead, not helping but feel that it was this very thing that had brought Thanos upon them in the first place. _Curse the power in this gem!,_ Vision thought to himself. But then again, it was also because of the gem that he was brought to life. But if the gem hadn't come to him, then maybe.. his team.. his somewhat family... and most especially his Wanda, would have one less thing to worry about.

 _But if the gem didn't create me... Then I never would've even met her.._ Vision thinks sadly. It was quite endearing how one thing contradicted with another. "But.." Vision now began, about to continue his current thought. "Should Wanda die... Should a precious person like her disappear from this world. From us.. From me... I don't think I would have any purpose to live further.." Vision finished, reaching a moment of clarity. As if he knew what the android thought, Steve said: "You know, you have a pretty roundabout way of admitting you love a woman."

The foreign word quickly caught his attention, that his eyes snapped back up to Rogers. Yes.. He did.. _Does_ love Wanda. More than he was willing to admit. To everyone else, and most likely to himself. And he would use the very hands that the Avengers had done their damnedest to keep appeased, to relentlessly tear apart anyone who dared kill his beloved Wanda.

"Which is why I must do this.." Vision uttered quietly. "She'll cry her eyes out once she realizes it when she wakes up." Steve said, as if to try once more to coax the android to stop what he was planning on doing. But he seemed intent on his decision. "I would be very grateful, if you could just keep her safe for me... Until I finish this.." Vision requested, looking into Steve's eyes, hopeful. "That is to say, if you succeed... Because, Vision, if Thanos beats you..." The android, however, cut him off. "You said it yourself, that if I die, then Wanda would be devastated."

Steve noticed Vision's eyes dart to the glass window to where Wanda rested. "There is no way that I would let anymore pain fall on her behalf... So I have no intention of dying." Vision said, voice filled with determination and conviction that could only be ever found in a human. Maybe he was, Steve thought.

The Captain hung his head, seemingly in defeat of the situation. "Don't you go dying on us, Vision... Most especially not on Wanda." Steve said. Vision slowly gave a curt nod. "That, I can guarantee, Captain Rogers." And in a flash of gold and red, the android was gone, disappearing far too quick for Steve to even see if he had crashed or phased through the door. But that didn't matter.

He had just let a man go to war on his own. Sure, Vision was no man... He was a vibranium android. He was probably the only one in the team (excluding Wanda) who could go toe-to-toe with Thanos. If not be mere equals. But to say that Vision wouldn't die, or in the very least be on the verge of dying, going against the alien Titan, would be going way up over their heads.

Vision probably even knew it himself... Knew it to the very core of his being that his chance of survival was nothing more but a forsaken fantasy. And should the android fail, they wouldn't just be losing another member, another friend... They'd be giving the enemy one step closer to victory.

Steve could only hope that Wanda wasn't going to kill him in blind rage, once she woke up.

 **-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**

 **AND CUE THE CURTAIN CALL! Man that took me way longer than I thought it would, but at least I got it. And I sure hope I got it right. I am pretty sure that there is something wrong with my spacing in this and that the paragraphs are still pretty much tight. I am sorry for that, and I hope that I will be able to fix it in future fics of mine.**

 **I honestly think that something like this will happen in Infinity War.. Like for reals.. All the guilt-trip and Vision will like give himself up just so that no one gets hurt any more *cough*cough*Wanda*cough*cough***

 **I didn't add the other intended Avengers for the Infinity War just yet, because I don't know how the directors are going to put them in the future film. So We only have the original group with the exception of Thor and Bruce Banner.**

 **I am also a hundred percent certain, that Wanda's powers, could like go absolute bananas if she wanted them to. Like that scene where she destroyed all those bots when Pietro died. I think rage is her power fuel.. Don't you think?**

 **So do you hate? Do you like? Leave me a review, it helps a lot!**


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